BDSM case continues

Could determine whether BDSM qualifies for protection from discrimination under Human Rights Code

The case of a BDSM player who alleges the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) denied him a chauffeur’s permit based on his alleged involvement in a sex cult continued in BC’s Human Rights Tribunal Apr 30.

The potentially groundbreaking case could determine whether BDSM qualifies for protection from discrimination as a sexual orientation under the province’s Human Rights Code.

VPD lawyer David Hill resumed his cross-examination of complainant Peter Hayes, a BDSM lifestyler, who testified Apr 3 that Const Kevin Barker asked him if he was in a sex cult called Gor, then rejected his permit application saying he was “unfit” to drive a limousine.

Last week Hill challenged Hayes, suggesting he is in fact involved in Gor.
Hayes insisted that he has been a consistent critic of the Gorean lifestyle, calling it a “patriarchal, womanizing society.”

“I have [Gorean] people that come after me and threaten me because I, as they put it, slam their community,” Hayes told the tribunal.

Hill then introduced web documents that indicated Hayes referred to himself as “Gorean by nature.” Hayes said that was just part of his attempts to do research about Gor, noting that he created a temporary chatroom and a separate email address to attract Goreans to get them to open up more.

Hill also referred to other web documents bearing Hayes’ other names, Purple Crow and Reptoid, describing a “number of sexual interactions with at least one reptilian creature.”

Hayes, who identifies as a pagan, called the experience “a very spiritual” one and said lots of pagans have told him about similar experiences in their rituals.

Hill said what was “bothering” him was that Hayes told the tribunal that his “core sexuality is BDSM,” and asked Hayes if sexual relations with reptoids “just slipped your mind.”

“This has nothing to do with officer Barker, though,” countered Hayes, who said he also identifies as bisexual and polyamorous.

“If it has nothing to do with Barker, why am I going to bring it up?” Hayes asked. “He didn’t make a reference to it in any of his comments about me.”